Healthy Leadership; Healthy Organization

A Yogi’s Perspective on Leadership

Shaking and sweating with the exertion of holding a yogic plank pose during last night’s yoga class it occurred to me how perfectly the body can be used as an analogy for your organization.

The pose I was in is fairly simple, a pose many of us are familiar with. But how closely have we considered what goes into that ‘simple pose’? I ensured that my shoulders were stacked directly over my wrists, that my back was straight, my legs were working hard, my heels were pointed back, my core was engaged, and that my head was facing slightly forward to elongate my neck. And those were just the conscious commands I was giving my body. What about all the functions my body was busy performing without me even telling it to? Muscles tensing, heart pumping blood to those muscles, sweat glands working hard to keep me cool. Not to mention the constant inhalation and exhalation of breath that happened without even thinking.

What does this have to do with my organization I hear you cry? Well, everything!

Let’s take a look at why…

The organization as a body

To me, the conscious messages the brain gives to the rest of the body are comparable to the messages passed down from you to your wider leadership team and close peers; the brain to the limbs if you like. Gradually, these messages filter throughout your entire organization, eventually reaching the very core.

We all know the importance of our hearts. Well, your employees are the beating heart of your organization, and it is your job to look after them just as you do your heart. Your employees keep the ‘blood pumping’ in your organization and ensure its health and vitality. When you do yoga, you rely on your heart to respond accordingly and to deliver the extra oxygen you need to every limb and organ in order to allow you to move your body into each new asana (pose). And you rely on your employees to do the same and keep your organization moving and flexing. So, ask yourself, are you looking after the heart of your organization in a way that enables them to deliver what you ask of them? Do you allow time to rest and replenish? Are you listening and reacting to the messages they pass back to you? Without this they will, at best, function inefficiently; at worst, you could be setting them up to fail. But with clear and consistent communication, a culture of fairness, recognition and feedback you will allow your employees to flourish and to give you their best today, tomorrow and for years to come.

The healthy organization

Being physically fit requires a balance of self-discipline and self-care. Skewed too far to the former and we leave ourselves open to fatigue and injury; too far towards the latter and we become sluggish and sickly. Your organization is no different; employees want to contribute but the way in which they contribute starts with you. Leaders to work alongside, demand the best whilst listening and remaining fair, will create a culture in which employees can give their best. After all, “people buy into the leader before they buy into the vision” (John C. Maxwell, 2007).

So how do you ensure that the messages you send deliver the positive impact you strive for across your organization? Well, contribution of employees depends hugely on their relations and interactions with others, especially with leaders (Pryce-Jones, 2010). You may not have the opportunity to speak with all employees but the behaviours you model in those around you will cascade throughout your organization. “Feelings and behaviours are catching and when you consistently model positive behaviour, your co-workers and colleagues will gradually start to reflect the same back to you” (Pryce-Jones, 2010).

But this transformation will require training and practice. You would not show up to your first yoga class and expect to just bend into Dancers Pose (Natarajasana). Similarly, you should not expect your organization to bend miraculously and immediately at your will. Training your body & your organization takes time, maintenance and care to achieve the outcomes you desire. And it means showing up day in, day out to train, to learn and to flex, together!

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